This invention relates to board games, and in particular to a board game apparatus that produces random results and is the base for various derivative games.
Board games in which the object is either to acquire the most wealth, bankrupting opposing players, or win the game by completing some object or goal first are well-known and replete with many versions. See, for example, the real estate trading game of Lizzie J. Magie in U.S. Pat. No. 748,626 (1904). Those games generally provide static playing fields and seldom provide play that is challenging or stimulating to the players.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,416 (1974) Jones et al. disclose a game having two playing boards, one mounted on top of the other. The object of this game is to move pegs from one board to another. The structure of this game is awkward in design and contributes unnecessary complications to a simple game.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,334 (1971) Pippin discloses a board game that includes rotatable discs. The board in Pippin""s game is cluttered and difficult to understand.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,723 (1977) Robinson describes a three-dimensional, multi-level inverse chess board that is over-complicated.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,234 (1993) Bechier discloses a four-dimensional game and a three-dimensional apparatus used for playing the game that uses tokens. The game is difficult to play because it is complicated with numerous game pieces and structural elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,751 (1990) to Ching describes a multi-tier checkered game board for checkers in a cumbersome and awkward design and is a complicated way to play checkers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,749 (1983) to Charney discloses a game board that comes in several different pieces. Those pieces can be assembled in a variety of different combinations. The game requires substantial skill to play.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,233 to Wilson (1986) discloses an add-on board for a real estate trading game. It further complicates the game without improving it.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,476 to Eplett (1986) describes a multi-stepped game board in a checkerboard design and adds nothing to the game but complication.
While some games provide variable moves, they are often too complex to stimulate interest in younger participants. Other games are too simple to challenge the more intellectual players. All prior-art games provide only a single result for each move. The games are also require too long a period of playing time to determine the winner, thereby causing participants to lose interest. Many games are found to have too many game board parts and accessories and can become lost between the playing of games.
Accordingly several objects and advantages of the present invention are to provide an improved game board, to provide a game with simple, variable moves, with a play period of reasonable duration, and with a limited number of game board parts. Further objects and advantages are to provide a multi-functional game board with a rotating mechanism that provides a base for any number of games, ranging form simple to complex, a game with a methodology of play which has the advantage of providing multiple random results, which is challenging yet simple to play, which has hidden instructions beneath swiveling tiers that produce multiple and unexpected results for the game players, which uses no dice, and which produces unexpected changes in fortune that affect not only one but all of the players simultaneously. Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the ensuing description and accompanying drawings.
In accordance with the present invention, a board game has one or more swiveling tiers. These tiers provide a basis for a set of games which utilize similar constructions, mechanisms, and play, providing numerous games of varying complexity which produce random and unexpected results. Since each move by another player can affect other players positively or adversely, every play by opposing players creates strong interest and excitement in the game play for all players. Additionally, since no dice are used in the games, interest in the activity and moves by other players is substantially increased by all players. This is due to the randomness of multiple results achieved by this device without the use of complicated mathematical calculations. The multiple results also offer challenging, easy to understand play.
The game tiers can be adapted to other media beside board games, for example, a television game show format, computer games, hand-held computerized games, online interactive games, and slot machine apparatuses, among others.
FIG. 1 shows an exploded, perspective view of a single-tier game in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the board in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a top view of the single-tier game of FIG. 1, showing game fields.
FIG. 4 is a top view of a multi-tier game according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the game in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 shows top and side views of a spacer used with rotating tiers.
FIG. 7 shows tiers of the game of FIG. 4, rotated to reveal hidden game fields.
FIG. 8 shows rotating disks hidden beneath the first tier.
FIG. 9 shows rotating disks in view as the first tier is rotated 45 degrees.